On June 4, each of our publications will include a special pullout: Celebrating America, marking the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding.
I’ll admit something candidly. We didn’t arrive at this idea without hesitation.
In a moment when the country feels deeply divided, even something as simple as celebrating America can be misunderstood. It can be seen as political. It can be misinterpreted as taking a side.
That’s not what this is. This is not about Donald Trump. This is not about Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. This is not about Republicans or Democrats.
This is about something older, and I would argue more enduring, than any political moment we’re living through. It’s about the idea of America.
Two hundred and fifty years is a milestone worth recognizing. We felt it was important that our newspapers create a space to reflect that; to celebrate not just our country, but the communities that give it life.
America has never been a simple story. From the very beginning, we were divided. Not all Americans were afforded the blessings of liberty. The nation was torn apart during the Civil War, with brother against brother and North against South.
And yet, in the generations that followed, Americans whose ancestors had once fought each other stood shoulder to shoulder in World War I and World War II.
Even at the founding, the contradictions were clear.
Thomas Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration of Independence included a passage condemning the slave trade—calling it a “cruel war against human nature itself.” That language was removed to secure unity among the colonies, particularly at the insistence of South Carolina and Georgia.
That omission matters. It reminds us that the country was founded by flawed people making difficult compromises. But what endured and what still endures is the idea at the heart of the document: that all are created equal; that we are endowed with rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
Those words were not fully realized in 1776. But they set a standard. They have been cited, invoked, and fought for ever since, from abolitionists to the Civil Rights Movement, including Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who called the Declaration a “promissory note” to which every American was entitled.
In that sense, America is not defined by perfection. It is defined by aspiration. It is not a country built on a single ethnicity, language or lineage. Unlike much of the world, to be American is not to belong to a single tribe.
To be American is to engage in a shared idea and an ongoing debate about what freedom, equality and justice truly mean.
That debate has never ended. It shouldn’t. But it also shouldn’t prevent us from recognizing what is remarkable about this country.
French observer Alexis de Tocqueville, visiting in the 19th century, was struck by something unique: Americans didn’t wait for distant authorities to solve their problems. They formed associations. They built institutions. They relied on one another.
That spirit is still alive today, especially in the communities we serve.
You see it in volunteer fire departments, local nonprofits, youth sports leagues, civic organizations, and the countless ways neighbors come together to support one another.
That is America, too.
And that is what we are celebrating.
Our "Celebrating America" section is an invitation to local businesses, community leaders and residents to take part. Patriotism does not belong to one party. It does not require agreement. It does not demand perfection.
It simply asks that we recognize what we share, and that we continue the work of shaping what comes next.
We hope you’ll join us.
If you or your organization is doing something to celebrate America's 250th anniversary, let us know about it. We are also looking for local businesses to show your community pride by participating in this section. You can email me at freeman@halstonmedia.com. Please write "America 250" in the subject line.
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